Posted: Jun 10, 2008 09:07 pm EDT
(MountEverest.net) Our contributors - what would ExplorersWeb be without them. You've seen his name here plenty of times and last week, Brazilian writer and chronicler Rodrigo Granzotto Peron compiled an amazing season's end report from the past Everest and Himalaya season. Enjoy!

Everest and Himalaya 2008 Season's end Chronicle
by Rodrigo Granzotto Peron

I – RACERS:

The race to summit all 14 8000ers is getting to a crucial point where several climbers are on the “penalty mark”. However, three of these racers – Piotr Pustelnik (on Annapurna), Ralf Dujmovits (on Lhotse) and Norbert Joos (on Everest) – were unable to defeat the tricky weather, and were forced back with unfinished quests.

The only one to accomplish the race this season was Ecuadorian Ivan Vallejo. The ace climber went for his third round on Dhaulagiri and finally reached the highest point, adding his name to the coveted list as the 14th knight to summit all 14 8000ers, the 7th without bottled oxygen, and the 1st South-American.

Current status of racers who bagged a summit this season*:

13 Andrew Lock
13 Denis Urubko
13 Lodue
13 Ralf Dujmovits
12 Maxut Zhumayev
11 Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner
10 Edurne Pasabán
10 João Garcia
08 Carlos Pauner
08 Daqiong
08 Radek Jaros
08 Yoshinobu Kato
07 Carlos Soria
07 Fernando Gonzalez-Rubio
07 Martin Minarik
07 Waldemar Niclevicz

Other curiosities about the race:

a) Juanito Oiarzabal summited his 22th 8000er; remaining the world record holder of most 8000+ peaks summited.

b) João Garcia bagged Makalu and is the first Portuguese to summit the TOP 5 (the world’s five tallest peaks – Everest, K2, Kangchenjunga, Lhotse and Makalu).

II – NEW ROUTES & DIFFICULT REPETITIONS:

This season was not prolific on new routes. Most climbers were interested only of the summit itself, no matter the route used. But some visionaries tried new lines or tough repetitions.

Russian top climbers Valery Babanov and Nikolay Totmjanin gave a try to the West Ridge of Dhaulagiri, but due to bad weather retreated to the normal route that led them to the top.

Swiss Ueli Steck and Simon Antemathen tried a new and difficult line on the South Face of Annapurna, without success, partially due to a heroic rescue attempt of the late Spanish climber Inaki Ochoa.

The UK Navy expedition to Makalu, under leadership of Colin Scott, attempted the SE Ridge that previously defeated a 2004 British expedition. After two summit bids, they were forced back by bad weather.

The seldom climbed East Ridge of Annapurna was attempted by two different expeditions (one Russian, led by Serguey Bogomolov; the other International, led by Iñaki Ochoa de Olza). The Russians gave up, but not Alexey Bolotov who, after summiting Annapurna East (8.041m) alone on May 8th, joined forces with Iñaki and Horia on a second summit bid 10 days later, when he proceeded to the main summit of Annapurna (8.091m), the only success on this mountain in 2008.

III – FALLEN HEROES:

Unfortunately some fatalities cast a shadow on the season: 2 down on Dhaulagiri, 2 on Makalu, 1 on Manaslu, 1 on Everest and 1 on Annapurna.

Among them was sadly one of the great legends of Himalaya, the Spanish Iñaki Ochoa de Olza, born 29.05.1967 in Pamplona, Navarra, Spain, and with 12 8000ers on his curriculum.

He died May 23rd in Camp IV of Annapurna (7.400m), victimized possibly by altitude induced stroke (previous to the climb, the Spaniard had undergone a surgery to his knee which could have triggered blood clots). The week-long attempt to rescue Iñaki was epic, mobilizing several great climbers and all of the mountaineering community. Tragically, Iñaki could not hold on long enough to be rescued, and his body remains on the mountain.

IV – LONGEVITY:

Countering last year's controversial old-age vs. mountaineering studies; senior Himalayan climbers proved their strength and vitality this year. Spanish Carlos Soria summited Makalu at age 69 (the oldest climber to summit Makalu).

On Everest two septuagenarians made history. At almost 77 years old, Nepali Min Bahadur Sherchan reached the highest point on earth and became also the oldest person to summit any 8000er. One day later, Japanese Yuichiro Miura, 75, topped out Everest as well. A good example for all that Alpinism has no age limit, but plenty of attitude.

V – WOMEN IN FOCUS:

Preliminary data show that more-or-less 30 female climbers reached the summit of Everest. Last year we had a little more than this, but it is necessary to consider that the closure of the Tibetan Flank lowered all stats. So in fact the feminine side in mountaineering is fast increasing.

The First All Women Everest Expedition was the most important event in this genre. Nine women from all castes and ethnic groups in Nepal topped out, “driven by the desire to break down barriers currently facing women in Nepali society” and “to open doors to all women and inspire them to overcome the obstacles they face”. Among them were the first lady Everest summiteers from Gurung, Danuwar, Chettri and Brahmin communities.

Other symbolic event for the women took place on the other side of the mountain, where Tibetans Ji Ji and Tsering Wangmu stood on the highest place on Earth holding the Olympic torch. (Ed note: sadly against a plea from fellow Tibetans including the Dalai Lama to not support this event.)

VI – A MATTER OF FAMILY:

Dan, 57, is the father. Barbara, 56, the mother. Adam, 25, Alan, 23, and Laura, 20, are the children. They are the Mallory Family, five Canadian climbers with a famous surname and the goal of becoming the first family to complete the 7 Summits (at least one or two members on each peak).

Before 2008 they had already climbed 5 of them. This year under logistics from SummitClimb; Dan, Alan and Adam stood atop Everest on May 26th. The next day also Laura summited together with Pasang Sherpa. In a family where mountaineering flows in the veins, the huge success was celebrated together. This is the first time that 4 members of a western family summited Everest in the same season. Now only Vinson is left to go.

VII – FIRST ASCENTS & RECORD-BREAKINGS:

a) On Dhaulagiri:

Edurne Pasabán – first Spanish lady
Fernando Gonzalez-Rubio – first Colombian
Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner – first Austrian lady
Kinga Baranowska – first Polish lady

b) On Makalu:

Alex Gavan – first Romanian
Carlos Hernan Wilke – first Argentinean
Svetlana Sharipova - first Kazakh lady
Cristina Castagna – first Italian lady
Waldemar Niclevicz & Irivan Gustavo Burda – first Brazilians

c) On Lhotse:

Harris Kyriakakis – first Greek
Herman Kristen – first Dutchman
Palden Namgye Sherpa – first to summit the peak 4 times

d) On Everest:

Apa Sherpa – record holder with 18 summits
Cheryl Bart & Nikki Bart – first mother-and-daughter
Dave Hahn – first non-sherpa to summit 10 times
Farouq Saad Hamad Al-Zuman – first Saudi Arabian
Nadir Dendou Ne – first Algerian
Neogi Bui-Van, Nyen Phan-Thanh & Linh Nguyen-Mau – first Vietnamese
Vitidnan Rojanapanich – first Thai

On Everest several sherpa climbers and western guides added more summits to their record*:

18 Apa Sherpa
15 Chuwang Nima Sherpa
13 Nga Temba I Sherpa
12 Chuldim Ang Dorje Sherpa
11 Lhakpa Rita I Sherpa
10 Dave Hahn
10 Tshering Dorje Sherpa
10 Danuru Sherpa
09 Da Sonam Sherpa
08 Guillermo Willie Benegas
08 Vernon Tejas
06 Kenton Cool
05 Dave Morton
04 Victor Saunders

VIII – ABSOLUTE NUMBERS*:

Everest 344
Kangchenjunga 10
Lhotse 46
Makalu 49
Dhaulagiri 22
Manaslu 05
Annapurna 01

TOTAL 437

Everest and Himalaya Season's end Chronicle 2nd edition - additions


Story edited June 11, 3.15 am. ExWeb contributor Andrey Verkhovod, from Kazakhstan, reported on the first female Kazakh ascent on Makalu by Svetlana Sharipova. Svetlana climbed with Denis Urubko team, without supplementary O2. It was her second 8000er.

*The numbers in the sections marked * are based on preliminary data and under analysis. Some will be revisited in the following months, with possibly a few corrections to be done by then.

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